Harper leads Rams past Cherryville

By Mike Powell

Published: Friday, January 18, 2013 at 11:01 PM.

“Kameron is a great shooter. He is not just a good shooter,” Blalock said. “Great shooters miss shots sometimes, and you always have to think the next shot is going in. He stayed with it and started hitting. He’s a magnificent kid and a great player.”

Actually, the game was a showcase for the 3-point shot. Highland Tech’s Sebastian Nieminen sank four 3-pointers in the first half alone, and five for the game on his way to a 24-point night.

For Cherryville (8-8, 2-4), Kenny Poston Jr. scored all 21 of his points from beyond the arc.

However, Tech (5-7, 4-2) cooled down Poston in the second half thanks to physical defense by Robert McMillion-El, the Rams’ 6-foot-4 defensive specialist. Poston managed only one 3-pointer in the second half, and that was a long bank-in shot from the top of the key.

CHERRYVILLE — Kameron Harper’s game Friday night was a study in the overcoming of frustration.

After a cold-shooting first half in which he scored three points on 1-for-8 shooting, Highland Tech’s leading scorer came alive in the fourth quarter.

Harper scored 14 of his 17 points in the final eight minutes to lead the Rams to a 77-73 win over Cherryville in a contest that was tight throughout the second half.

After a session with coach Butch Blalock at the half, Harper said he maintained the typical shooter’s mentality to get over his rough start.

“I was rushing my shots, but the coach told me to keep shooting, that if you miss one, you are going to make the next one,” Harper said.

And make them Harper did down the stretch. He was 4-for-5 from the field in the fourth quarter, including nine points from 3-point range, and 3-for-3 at the foul line.

No points were bigger than Harper’s drive and layup along the baseline with 4.8 seconds left, and he hit a free throw to complete a three-point play, making the score 77-73. That put the game out of the Ironmen’s reach, and all Rhyer Davis could do was launch a desperation shot that missed.

“Kameron is a great shooter. He is not just a good shooter,” Blalock said. “Great shooters miss shots sometimes, and you always have to think the next shot is going in. He stayed with it and started hitting. He’s a magnificent kid and a great player.”

Actually, the game was a showcase for the 3-point shot. Highland Tech’s Sebastian Nieminen sank four 3-pointers in the first half alone, and five for the game on his way to a 24-point night.

For Cherryville (8-8, 2-4), Kenny Poston Jr. scored all 21 of his points from beyond the arc.

However, Tech (5-7, 4-2) cooled down Poston in the second half thanks to physical defense by Robert McMillion-El, the Rams’ 6-foot-4 defensive specialist. Poston managed only one 3-pointer in the second half, and that was a long bank-in shot from the top of the key.